Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer- the pros and ’cones

I love having fun with my makeup. However, the idea behind using primer just felt like one of those capitalistic ploys that try to get you to purchase yet another product you don’t really need, but somehow “can’t live without.” When Nisha passed me a tube of Hard Candy Sheer Envy Ultra Light Formula Primer, I agreed to try it with a bit of apprehension. Would this be a waste of my time?

The product itself is a translucent, silky cream, which goes on completely sheer. It was bizarre, but not unpleasant, to have my face feel synthetic and silky all at once.

In a way, I was glad I was introduced to this primer. Applying primer supposedly helps makeup last longer, but so do setting sprays, which are a breeze to use (I particularly favor the lazy spray-and-go formula). But what I enjoyed about this product was that it actually sped up my routine, as foundation effortlessly glided over my skin and blended so much better. My look took hold for a bit longer than it typically does.

The Hard Candy Primer was particularly useful around my eyes because I often wear concealer here. There was no resistance against my skin leaving me no reason to tug against the delicate under-eye area. Overall, I achieved quite a smooth finish. The primer was a great addition to my makeup arsenal, which includes certain products that don’t have lasting effects, such as my eyeshadows.

I was the most excited about the possibility of feeling less guilty about sticking with my MAC foundation (it’s been hard to part with the one foundation shade I’ve been able to find that matches my very confused Punjabi complexion, despite its not-so-great formula). Earlier this year, I tried Vapour Organic's Stratus Skin Perfector, but sadly for me, it was one of the “Five Best Ways to Waste $33.” With this primer, I was hopeful there would be a healthy barrier between my toxic foundation and my skin.

My hopes were soon dashed when I learned the primer, unsurprisingly, is almost completely derived of silicones. While there doesn’t appear to be anything majorly destructive in the ingredients list, there is nothing particularly beneficial in there either that would make me want to say you should run out and buy this product immediately.

From here onward, I plan to finish the tube I have, using it sparingly beneath my eyeshadow and concealer. Even though it’s fairly cheap compared to other primers, I’ll probably never buy this product myself. I’d much rather spend the $10 on Chipotle. At least Chipotle is organic.